Abstract:

Technologies play a well-known role in creating competitive advantages for companies as well as in controlling environmental impacts. This study deals with the relationship between environmentally sound technologies and the competitiveness of companies in the value chain of printed paper from forest to market. These connections are important to understand, because the technology is an important solution in facing environmental requirements. This study answers the following five questions: Which environmentally sound technologies are the most important for environmental impacts in the value chain of printed paper? How do they impact on the competitiveness of companies? How do these technologies differ across the value chain? Do they impact on competitiveness of companies in the other part of the value chain? The fifth research question involves studying differences between function mechanisms of pollution-prevention technology and pollution-abatement technology in facing legal requirements. This is studied as a part of the so-called 'Porter Hypothesis'. A term, environmental value creation, has been defined as 'performing activities by managing environmental aspects so that the value of goods and services to consumers or to customers increases.' Data was collected from the value chain of printed paper and were divided into the following parts: forest harvesting, pulp mill, paper mill and printing house. Eight experts were interviewed resulting in 69 environmentally sound technologies during the time periods 1980-1999 and 2000-2019. The data was analysed by non-parametrical statistical tests.

As a result of this study, automation, measurement and information technologies, closing-up technologies and energy technologies were found to be the most important for environmental impacts and frequently mentioned responses of environmentally sound technologies in the value chain of printed paper. The cost factors of raw material and staff and differentiation factors of company image and product image were the most indicative of increasing competitiveness of companies among environmentally sound technologies. Of the cost factors investigated, capital invested in technologies reduced the competitiveness of companies the most. The function mechanism of pollution-prevention technologies will replace pollution-abatement technologies in time period 2000-2019. Competitiveness impacts were not found to have a relationship with having or not having legal incentive among environmentally sound technologies, but significantly competitiveness-decreasing technologies have been found to be more frequently legal incentives impacted on than the other investigated technologies. The use of raw materials and natural resources of environmental aspects is intensively focused by the environmentally sound technologies along the value chain and this progress will strengthen in the technologies of the time period 2000-2019. When the differences among the parts of value chain of printed paper were studied, it was found that the environmentally sound technologies increase competitiveness of companies mostly in printing houses and decrease it mostly in pulp mills. Half of the investigated technologies have an effect on competitiveness of companies in the other part of the value chain, too.